Peter Jackson Says THE HUNT FOR GOLLUM is Almost Finished Filming and Teases THE SHADOW OF THE PAST
Middle-earth is getting ready for another big-screen adventure, and Peter Jackson has some exciting updates on the next two The Lord of the Rings films. It looks like Gollum's return is coming together nicely, while another project will explore some fan-favorite parts of Tolkien's world that never made it into the original trilogy.
Jackson, who is producing both films for Warner Bros., recently appeared at the Sitges Film Festival in Spain, where he gave fans an update on The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum and The Lord of the Rings: The Shadow of the Past.
Speaking to fans at the festival, Jackson revealed just how far along both projects are, saying: "We have The Shadow of the Past, which is in the scriptwriting stage. The Hunt for Gollum is almost finished filming. I think there are about two weeks of shooting left.”
That's some great news for fans eager to return to Middle-earth, especially since The Hunt for Gollum is already approaching the end of its production.
Andy Serkis is directing the film and returning to play Gollum. Serkis knows this character better than just about anyone, so it'll be interesting to see what he does with the story as both its star and director.
The screenplay comes from Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Phoebe Gittins, and Arty Papageorgiou, with Jackson, Walsh, and Boyens producing.
Production began in Wellington, New Zealand, in July, putting the shoot at roughly four months if everything finishes according to Jackson's estimate. Of course, a movie like this still has plenty of visual effects and post-production work ahead.
The cast also brings back several familiar faces alongside some interesting newcomers. Ian McKellen is returning as Gandalf, Elijah Wood is back as Frodo, and Lee Pace will reprise his role as Thranduil.
Joining them are Jamie Dornan as Strider, Kate Winslet as Marigol, Leo Woodall as Halvard, and Anya Taylor-Joy in an undisclosed elf role.
Dornan stepping into the role of Strider is particularly interesting, considering how closely fans associate Aragorn with Viggo Mortensen. He's got some pretty big boots to fill, but I'm curious to see his take on the character.
Warner Bros. currently has The Hunt for Gollum scheduled to hit theaters on December 17, 2027, bringing Middle-earth back to the holiday release window that worked so well for Jackson's previous films.
Meanwhile, The Shadow of the Past sounds like it could be a real treat for longtime Tolkien readers. The movie will explore material from The Fellowship of the Ring that Jackson left out of his original 2001 adaptation, including Tom Bombadil and the Barrow-downs.
Those are two memorable elements of Tolkien's story that fans have wanted to see brought to life on the big screen for years. It'll be fun to finally spend some time in those corners of Middle-earth.
The screenplay is being written by Stephen Colbert, Philippa Boyens, and Peter McGee. Colbert is famously a massive Tolkien fan. Jackson confirmed that the film is still in development, with no production schedule or release date announced.
While Jackson remains closely involved with these new Lord of the Rings movies, he also revealed that his next directing project will take him away from Middle-earth. "We've also already written the script for Tintin 2, the second Tintin film. That will be the next film I make," he said.
Steven Spielberg directed the original 2011 animated adventure, with Jackson serving as producer. The plan was always for Jackson to direct the sequel, but the project stalled.
Interestingly, Serkis also voiced Captain Haddock in the first movie, so there's a chance the two filmmakers could reunite on another adventure.
Jackson was attending Sitges to receive the festival's Honorary Grand Prize, returning 34 years after screening his wild horror comedy Braindead at the event.
During his appearance, he also reflected on the challenges of filmmaking, revealing that both his Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies required 288 days of filming each.
Despite directing some of the biggest fantasy movies ever made, Jackson admitted that shooting isn't actually his favorite part of the process. He prefers writing and editing, where he can really shape the story.
He also shared a feeling that probably sounds familiar to anyone who's worked on a creative project, admitting there's "always a moment you're absolutely convinced you've made the worst film in history."
Jackson also credited Thunderbirds and King Kong as the films that first inspired him to pursue filmmaking.
It's great to see Jackson continuing to help shape the future of Middle-earth while giving other filmmakers an opportunity to explore Tolkien's world.
With The Hunt for Gollum nearing the finish line on filming and The Shadow of the Past taking shape, there are some interesting adventures ahead for The Lord of the Rings franchise.
I'm especially curious to see how Serkis approaches Gollum's story and whether these new movies can capture some of the magic that made the original trilogy so special.
Via: Fotograms